TEA LEAVES
by Saeshmea
Summary: Sybill Trellawney suffers one of her trances while reading Minerva's tea leaves... ""He knows where she is now and he wants her back... She is in danger...", she says. Severus overhears her words and gets worried, Minerva doesn't seem to care. But this changes when a report about a mysterious man getting free from Azkaban appears on the papers and Minerva gets scared.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I don't own the characters of the Harry Potter saga (obviously), neither the places or anything to do with the HP world... as we all know they belong to JK Rowling (and also to WB studios :P) but since I get no profit other than enjoying my time by writing these fanfics I don't think this disclaimer is needed.**

**A/N: First of all, let me apologize because my intention tonight was updating IT'S COMPLICATED but I was clueless with that plot so I began reading old fics trying to get inspired... I ended up finding this first chapter I wrote a couple months ago... I am not really sure were this will lead to (as always) but I really like the introduction... I hope you do as well.**

**Secondly, I apologize in advance, as always, for the grammar and spelling mistakes you will surely find... I am not a native English speaker so you must understand that in my effort to write a nice story I end up unintentionally neglecting this lovely language which I hope I will completely dominate some day... not yet, so please, be patient with me.**

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**TEA LEAVES** - Introduction

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It was the last day of holidays for the students of the School of Witchcraft and Wizardry of Hogwarts, and while all the children were still back in their homes, getting their things ready for the next day, some teachers had already arrived to the castle. In the staff room, professor Trelawney was reading the tea leafs from Sprout's cup while Madam Hooch was next to them listening carefully.  
"I see a sun..." she was saying.  
"What does that mean? A sun is good, isn't it?" the herbology teacher wondered.  
"Weren't you listening in divination, that means great happiness..."  
"That's right, Rolanda," Trelawney replied like she would have done to one of her students, "Pomona is expecting good news..."  
"Expecting?" the cup's owner realized, "like expecting a baby?"  
"Maybe..." the divination professor guessed.  
"Oh my god, Pomona...!" Hooch exclaimed "You're going to be a mom!"  
"Oh, ladies please..." professor McGonagall raised her look from the papers she was working on and interrupted the group of women at the other side of the table, "Pomona, I'm sorry, but you getting pregnant wouldn't be good news, would be a miracle... don't you realize she's just telling you what you want to listen..."  
"Who cares if it's true or not, we're just having fun..." professor Sprout replied, "You don't have to be always so sceptic, Min..."  
"Let's see what future awaits for Minerva..." the flying teacher said making Minerva's cup of tea come to them with a move of her wand.  
"Enjoy your time," professor McGonagall stood up and picked her things, "I have a meeting with the headmaster, so if you excuse..."  
"Don't worry, we'll tell you later what Sybill has seen..."  
"Don't bother, Rolanda... even if Sybill was able to predict my future, I am pretty happy with my ignorance about tomorrow..." and she walked outside, almost crashing with professor Snape at the door. "Severus."  
"Minerva," they saluted politely and then he came in to take a couple books he had forgotten on the morning. He picked them up and right when he was going to leave the noise of a piece of porcelain crashing on the ground stopped him. Professor Trelawney was standing up between Hooch and Sprout, her eyes had became white and her hands were shaking...  
"He will come..." she said, "He knows where she is now and he wants her back... She is in danger..." after that, the divination teacher fainted.  
"Sybill, Sybill that wasn't fun..." Sprout said, "Sybill, are you ok?"  
While Trelawney was coming back to herself, Snape approached the three ladies.  
"Who was she talking about?" he asked.  
"She was reading Minerva's tea leafs..." Rolanda told him "You don't believe that was serious, right?" she left go a laugh.  
"No, of course not..." and then he left the room forgetting his books again. He couldn't tell Hooch that the only time he had seen Trelawney acting like that she was having the most important prophecy of the century...

* * *

When Severus arrived to the Headmaster's office Minerva was also there with another man.  
"Hello Severus, come in please..." Dumbledore invited him, "This is professor Charles Bellard, he will be the new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher."  
"Enchanté," the new professor said.  
"Nice to meet you," professor Snape answered not even looking at the man, unable to take Trelawney's voice out from his mind and looking at Minerva wondering what kind of danger she was on, "Headmaster, I need to talk to you about something..."  
"Of course," Dumbledore said, "Minerva, would you mind showing Mr. Bellard his private rooms, please." He waited until they were gone and then asked to Severus: "Tell me, what's wrong?"  
"I thing professor Trelawney had some kind of... prophecy, sir..."  
"When?"  
"A few minutes ago, in the staff room... She was reading Minerva's tea leafs when she came into a trance... She was talking saying something about her being in danger and a man coming to take her back... I think she was talking about you-know-who..."  
"Are you completely sure of what you're saying, Severus?"  
"Well, I am sure of what I saw and listen, professor..."  
"In this case I think you should tell her, warn her of what might be coming. I'll increase the security spells around the school..."  
"That's it?"  
"I don't thing there's more we can do, Severus..."

* * *

Snape waited for Minerva at the entrance of the Gryffindor tower and when she arrived she invited him to come in. He didn't remember ever being in that common room. It was clean and tidy, there was a couple book shelves, one large table to study and some armchairs.  
"I can't wait until tomorrow to see the faces of the new students when they arrive..." she said, "Do you remember your first day at Hogwarts, Severus?"  
"Not the best day of my life..." he said thinking of all the bad memories he had of those years.  
Minerva smiled understanding.  
"I remember coming into this same room and looking around, the light of the floating candles, the smell of the old books, the murmur of the other students..." she breathed hard and then looked back at her guest, "I'm sorry, would you like some tea?"  
"No thanks," Severus replied.  
"Have a sit, then... Tell me, what made you come up here?"  
"Earlier, when I was coming into the staff room and you were coming out..."  
"Yes..."  
"I heard professor Trelawney..."  
"Oh Merlin... Was she reading my tea leafs?" she said in a giggle, "What did she came up with this time?"  
"I know this will sound crazy for you but I don't think she came up with anything this time, I do believe she had a prophecy..."  
"A prophecy?!" and she resisted to laugh in front of him. "Sybill Trelawney wouldn't guess the future even if she had a time-turner..."  
"Trust me, she came into a trance, I'd seen that before... she said you would be in danger, that someone would come to get you..."  
"Severus, I really had never imagined you were one of this wizards who believe in all this craft..." she kept being sceptical, "you don't need to worry about me, the last time I let Sybill read my hand she said I was going to die in three weeks... that was six months ago... Look, she is a wonderful woman, she's the best friend someone can have but she has no inner eye." she was concise. Severus realized he wouldn't be able to convince her of anything, so he left thinking that maybe she was right... maybe there had been no prophecy that morning...

TO BE CONTINUED...


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Thanks to Shadow Huntress for her not only nice but instructive comment. I always appreciate a constructive comment and yours surely was. ****I also want to thank Ms. McGonagall-Snape for taking the time of reviewing. As I said in previews fics, it's always nice to know your work is being read, rather it likes or not... So thank you very much to both of you.**

**** I apologize in advance for the grammar and spelling mistakes you will surely find...**

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**Tea leaves - chapter 2**

The next day the students arrived to the school and the ceremony to welcome the new students took place without incidents. Everybody was sorted into a house and the new teachers were presented. Minerva didn't seemed disturbed at all about what Severus had told her so the potions master tried to forget as well. It was the day after when things changed.

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They were having breakfast in the Main Hall when the mail arrived. Severus wouldn't have paid any attention to the fact that Minerva had received her daily copy of the Prophet if it wasn't for the noise her tea spoon made when it slipped from her fingers and felt into the cup causing a mess around it.  
"Minerva, are you alright?" Pomona asked taking out her wand to dry the spots of hot tea on the tablecloth; but her friend ignored her completely and left disturbed. "Minerva?" the herbology teacher repeated confused.

Any other time, Severus would have stayed in his sit and finished his breakfast before attending his first class. But that wasn't any other time, there had been a prophecy about Minerva being in danger and now, all of a sudden, she began to behave strangely. Snape stood up and followed the transfiguration teacher's steps across the Main Hall, stealing, on his way out, a copy of the Prophet from the Hufflepuff table.  
While trying to look for Minerva down the hall, he opened the paper looking for some clue but... he had none. He arrived to the transfiguration classroom and found the door ajar, inside he could here someone crying. He didn't knock the door before entering because he knew he wouldn't have been invited to come in, he just made his steps sounding so his presence would be noticed.  
"Minerva," he asked. The professor quickly dried her tears and turned around to face her intruder.  
"Severus, weren't you taught to knock doors?"  
"I'm sorry, I didn't want to intrude but..." not knowing exactly what to say, he was direct, "are you alright?"  
"I will," she answered.  
"You don't need to be taught with me, I know there's something wrong and if you told me..."  
"You can't help, Severus," she said reluctantly.  
"What is it on the papers that made you upset?" he insisted on finding out the reason of her tears.  
"Leave me alone, Severus, please," she sounded about to lose her patience.  
"Minerva, it has to do with what Sybill saw, doesn't it? She was right, you do are in danger..."  
"No, no, NO! I am not in danger, Severus, I need NO protection, HE is NOT coming after me, alright, he's not, he can't, he doesn't know..." she broke down into tears again and I let her cry on my shoulder as I closed the classroom door with a move of my wand so nobody would come in.  
When she calmed down I helped her sit down on her desk and made appear a glass of water for her.  
"Minerva, you may pardon me but, who is able to disturb you like this?" Severus wondered thinking that Minerva McGonagall was a powerful witch who feared nothing. Without saying a word Minerva grabbed the paper that Severus had brought with him, since hers had been destroyed into pieces, and opened it to the third page pointing the right column of the page. It was a short report about a man called Melvin Fymber who had been released on parole from Azkaban a week ago and had now disappeared. On top of the article there was a small picture of a tall handsome man with blond hair and a big nose. Severus looked at Minerva even more confused. "What does this man have to do with you?" he asked.  
Minerva bit her lips making an effort not to cry again as her fingers scratched the smiling picture of the man. Severus noticed that and stopped it by wrapping her hand with his.  
"Minerva, who is Melvin Fymber and what does he want from you?"  
"He wants me back..." she said with staring at some lost point in the room.  
"Back where?"  
"With him..." she said almost in a whisper.  
"Minerva, I don't understand..." he didn't know what confused him more, if her word or if her odd behaviour.  
"I... I belong to him..." she said now looking into his eyes, "Severus, he owns me and he'll come to take me back..."  
"Alright, alright... let's start from the beginning..." he said more and more confused, "Where did you meet him?"  
"He was a friend of my father... he was always kind with me and he was very handsome... he was always at home, like family... When I finished school and turn eighteen he asked father for my hand and we got married..."  
"He's your husband?!" Severus couldn't help but exclaiming.  
"I never wanted to get married but I thought he was a good man that would make me happy... He wouldn't let me continue my studies on transfiguration, he wouldn't even let me teach or have any kind of job... He wanted me only for him and if I disobeyed he would... I tried to talk to my father but Melvin wouldn't let me visit him on my own... I belonged to him..."  
"What happened?" Severus wanted to know.  
"I tried to run away many times but he always found me and the punishment was worse every time... one day I could reach my father and he hide me after I told him everything... the poor man was so sorry... then Melvin came and they fought... father was powerful but..."  
"Oh Merlin..." Severus let go realizing the end of the story.  
"He killed him in front of me..." Minerva broke down again into tears, "my father, my dad... I somehow managed to reached the Ministry and reported him... He was sent to Azkaban for murder and I thought he would die in there..." she finished saying, with rage, while drying her tears.  
"Oh, Minerva... you don't need to worry, he won't be able to reach you, Albus will increase the security spells around the school, and I'll use my contacts to find his whereabouts and send him back to prison... we won't let him harm you..."  
"...but Sybill..." she muttered.  
"I thought Sybill had no inner eye at all and that you didn't believe in these things," Severus quoted Minerva taking a smile out from her lips. "We'll prove she was wrong." he concluded. "Come one, I'll walk you to your rooms."  
"But I have a class, now," she said.  
"I don't think you are in the best condition to manage a class full of teenagers," the potions teacher pointed.  
"I'll tell you whenever I don't feel good to teach," she replied sounding like the usual transfiguration teacher again.

TO BE CONTINUED...****

A/N: Before anyone says that Minerva was out of character in this part, let me say that in moments of panic all of us can suddenly go out of character.

I hope you liked it ;-) It wasn't exactly what I had in mind since I wanted to put more mystery around what was worrying Minerva but... I'm not good at mystery plots (you only have to read the fics where I've tried that). So I'm afraid this chapter was not original at all, but next chapter will be more interesting: Severus will help Minerva face her fear.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Thank you to Shadow Huntress for your sincere comment, I hope your sister got better and is fine now. **

**This story begins with a dream/nightmare, and I'll try to post other flashbacks about Minerva's life with her husband but I tend to get carried away with this kind of plots so if at any point you feel like I passed the line, you tell me.**

**This was supposed to be uploaded two days ago, so I should be posting the fourth chapter in a few hours. If not, you have all the rights to get mad at me :)**

**Well, I hope you enjoy this one ;)**

**.**

**** I apologize in advance for the grammar and spelling mistakes you will surely find...**

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**Tea leaves - 3**

_Minerva woke up when the light of the morning began to come in through the window. She sat down at the edge of the bed and grabbed her nightdress from the ground to cover her naked body. She looked around to make sure she was alone and went into the bathroom to have her usual morning shower before getting dressed. Once she was ready to leave she walked to her night table to take her wand but it wasn't there. She looked for it all over the room, inside the pockets of every one of her dresses and cloaks. Not being able to find it anywhere she opened her hand and said out loud: "Accio wand!", but nothing happened._  
_At that moment someone entered the room, a tall blond man dressed very elegant._  
_"What's the matter, my dear?" he asked._  
_"I can't find my wand, have you seen it?"_  
_The man approached her and hugged her from the back kissing her neck softly, tickling her with his nose. _  
_"Not now, please, I need my wand..." Minerva insisted letting go of him and continuing her search in the chest drawers. Then, all of a sudden, she felt herself dragged and pulled onto the bed and before she could react, the man was on top of her._  
_"Melvin, please," she begged confused and trying to stand up._  
_"Stop it!" he yelled slapping her face so she would shut up, "You see what you made me do?" he said, stroking her red cheek. "You don't need your wand, Minerva... I kept it in a safe place because I have enough power for the both of us... I am all the magic you need." he concluded kissing the bruise that was beginning to appear on her face._  
_…_  
_.._  
_._

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Before his last class of the day Severus went into the teachers lounge to spend the free hour he had checking the essays about the danger of using spoiled ingredients in potions that he'd asked to his third year class. In the room there were Flitwick concentrated in one of his old books of spells sitting near the fire, and Minerva, who seemed to be working from the door but when Severus came close he realized she was actually sleeping on top of her notes for next week's classes.  
"Minerva," he said resting a hand on her shoulder, "Minerva".  
"You're not going to wake her up, the charms professor said from the armchair near the fire, "she's been sleeping for the last thirty minutes."  
Severus sat next to her trying not to make any noise. When he took his quill to start working on the essays he noticed there was a lock of hair out of her bun. He distracted himself watching at those black long hairs being moved by the soft draught of air coming from the fireplace. He carefully pulled them back her ear but when the back of his hand brushed her skin she opened her eyes startled and grabbed Severus hand.  
"What were you doing?" she asked letting him free when she realized who he was.  
"N-nothing," the potions master muttered, "you were asleep and..."  
"I haven't been resting well lately," she said while she stood up and fixed her hair, "good evening, gentleman," she picked up all her things and left.  
"One of my Ravenclaws' told me she almost fell asleep during their class yesterday," Filius pointed out.  
"Who, Minerva?" Severus wondered.  
"Yes. I don't know what's bothering that woman but I had never seen her like this."  
"Who knows..." the potions teacher said, but he did know what was bothering Minerva. She wouldn't be able to rest until she knew for sure that Fymber guy was not coming after her, but it could past weeks, months, before they catched him and she needed to put her fear aside and have some good rest. Severus decided he was going to help her do that.

* * *

Later, at dinner time, Severus approached Minerva at the teacher's table and handed her a vial.  
"What's this?" she asked looking at the dark translucent liquid inside.  
"Three drops of it before going to bed will help you sleep," Severus explained.  
"I don't..." Minerva began to complain, whispering so the teachers that were taking their seats would hear them.  
"You need to rest, Minerva." Severus interrupted her, "I wouldn't like my students saying their transfiguration teacher was sleeping in the middle of a class."  
"I have never felt asleep during a class!" she exclaimed.  
"That's not what Filius' children are saying..." Severus mocked.  
"I..." she was going to reply but then Rolanda sat down next to her and Minerva stopped talking. A stare from her green eyes made Severus understand it was time to take his place at the other side of the table.  
"What's the matter with him?" Hooch asked to her friend.  
"Who, Severus?" Minerva questioned hiding the vial in the pocket of her dress.  
"Yes... the man only talks to us for arguing so what's the matter with him this time?"  
"Nothing... he only..." the transfiguration teacher muttered trying to come up with something Rolanda would believe.  
"Don't tell me he was complaining about the twenty points you took from Slytherin this morning?"  
"Something like that," Minerva said happy because she hadn't needed to lie. Later, during the dinner, when she strenght her arm to grab the jar of juice her eyes crossed with his and for some reason, she smiled. Maybe it was gratitude for the potion, maybe it was sympathy for the gesture.

* * *

That night, after almost an hour tossing and turning in bed, Minerva got up and looked for that vial in the pocket of her dress. Severus said she would only need three drops and so she did. Fifteen minutes after taking the potion, Minerva was calmly sleeping, and for the first time since she saw Melvin's face on the paper, she could rest an entire night.

TO BE CONTINUED...


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: ... I don't know for sure if there'll be a romantic relationship between Minerva and Severus in this fic but they will be involved in some "weird/odd" scenes where things can be confusing... After all, the situation is pretty complicated...

As for me, I've become so fond of MM/SS that at this moment it's hard to me sometimes to write something where they both appear and not making them end up together, but I've began two fics where that's exactly what I am trying... If I am able or not to do it, we'll see :D

I hope you enjoy this part and the entire fic whatever its end is.

.

** I apologize in advance for the grammar and spelling mistakes you will surely find...

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Tea leaves - 4

It was Saturday and Minerva woke up late. She felt great because she had been able to sleep the entire night without nightmares haunting her. She definitely had to find a way to thank Severus for the sleeping potion he gave her the day before.  
After getting dressed she left her bedroom and stepped into her office. On her desk there was a tray with some breakfast and a letter.

_Minerva,_  
_I asked the houselfs to take you some breakfast since you didn't come downstairs. _  
_Meet me in front of the Defence Against Dark Arts classroom after the students are gone to Hogsmeade._  
_Severus._

Minerva looked at the old clock on the wall. It was passed nine on the morning! She ate fast and left her rooms like if she was in a hurry. She had no idea of why Severus wanted to meet her but she didn't wanted to make him wait.  
When she climbed her last step down to the first floor, she met with professor Snape, who was coming up.  
"Good morning," she said.  
"As punctual as ever," Severus said as they took the corridor that would take them to the Defence Against the Dark Arts together. "It's nice to see you awake."  
"Thanks to your potion, I must say it was very useful," Minerva confessed, "You'll have to tell me what I owe you because I am going to need at least a couple more bottles before the year finishes..."  
"In the first place," Severus said as they reached their destination, "you owe me nothing. And secondly, I won't make you more potion because you won't need it..."  
"What do you mean?" she asked confused as the potion master opened the door of the classroom to let her in.  
"Minerva, a sleeping potion helps you sleep but it doesn't take the fear away... You have to fight it, you have to get over it."  
"I already got over it, I escaped and I am free now... and by the way, what are we doing here?" she wondered as she watched Severus turning the lights on and closing every window and door in the room.  
"You are not free, Minerva... and you won't be until you are able to look at his eyes and see nothing else than a man." he stood next to one of the closets and added, "That's why we are here," he made a long stop and then finished, "don't worry, I asked permission to the new teacher to use his classroom."  
"Severus, I still not understand what you have in..." but before she could finish her sentence, Severus opened the closet in front of her and a man stepped out from the darkness inside the furniture. Minerva branded her wand against the stranger but as soon as she could have a better look of him, her hand trembled and the wooden stick felt to the ground. "Melvin?" she muttered confused and then looked at Severus, "What's he doing here?! Why would you bring him in the school?!" she panicked.  
"Minerva calm down," Severus said from one side of the wardrobe were Melvin Fymber had come from, "grab your wand and defend yourself!" he ordered.  
"No, no..." Minerva was making a big effort not to break down into tears in front of the very image of her husband and when he made a step forwards in her direction, she transfigured herself into her cat form and tried to run away by one of the windows, but they were all closed.  
Seeing that, Severus took out his wand and with a simple movement drag the man back into the shadows of the closet. He then turned around to look at Minerva only to found the classroom door spread opened.  
She found her outside, sitting in one of the stone benches in the corridor, drying her tears.  
"This is yours," he said and Minerva turn around to see her wand on his hands.  
"How could you...?" she asked taking the stick back, "How could you do this?"  
"It was only a boggart, Minerva..." Severus said.  
"Not to me..."  
"Don't you see you never really escaped, Minerva? As long as you don't fight this irrational fear he inspired you, you will always belong to him..." he knelt in front of her so she would look at his eyes, "Let me help you."  
"Why do you want to help me so much? It's not your problem, Severus... You don't understand..." after those words, she left.

TO BE CONTINUED...


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: I am trying to update and finish my old HP stories, but I'll try to post a new chapter for this and my other new fics soon. I am also working on a new MM/SS story that I want to post as soon as my list of not-finished fanfics is reduced... I hope you like this part ^.^

** I apologize in advance for the grammar and spelling mistakes you will surely find...

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Tea leaves - 5

That same afternoon, when Minerva heard a knocking at her door, she didn't need to open the door to know who it was.  
"Hi," she shyly said to her visitor, "if you came to apologize I don't want to hear it."  
"That's not the reason of my visit," Severus said, "can I come in?"  
"Please," Minerva let the potion master step into her office and she closed the door after him. "Would you like some tea?" she offered.  
"No, thanks," he said sitting on the small couch near the fireplace. And after an uncomfortable short silence he took out from his pocket an old pocket watch. "It belonged to my father," he said and he put it on Minerva's hands, who observed it carefully. It was made of silver and it had an S engraved on the top. It was the first time she heard Severus mention a relative and she wondered why now.  
"It's nice that you've kept it," Minerva pointed out returning it to its owner.  
With the watch between his hands Severus pressed them hard. "He abused me," he confessed, "he would hit my mother and me whenever he felt like it and after her death he payed his rage against me..." suddenly they heard the noise of a small crystal breaking and Minerva sat next to Severus to make him separate his hands.  
"Oh Merlin, you're bleeding..." she said standing to take some gauzes and coming back. She took the broken watch from his right hand and cleaned the blood on both palms. "Why would you do that?" she asked like if she was arguing a little boy, while she healed the small cut on his left hand after making sure no crystal was in it.  
"The last time I saw my father he was an old man barely able to stand on his feet and I was a Death Eater... but even then, I felt small and weak when his eyes met me..." Severus said holding Minerva's hands when she finished bandaging his, "Minerva I do understand how you feel, that's why I want to help you fight it."  
Minerva looked at the man in front of her, who had just shared with her the most secret aspect of his life. He believed in her, he was determined to help her and now she could understand why, but she wasn't sure of having so much confidence in herself.  
"What makes you think I'll be able to do it if you never could? I am sorry Severus but it took me so long to forget about those years that..." she stood up and gave her back to him.  
"I always kept it to myself, I shared my fears with nobody believing I could fight them on my own..." he said standing up as well, "but you are not alone, Minerva, I'll be next to you all the time, I'll help you overcome your fear and I'll protect you if he ever reaches you... The only thing I ask for is you to trust me." he rested a hand on her shoulder and she turned around.  
"Alright," she said on a sight, "I'll give you one more chance."  
Severus smiled and Minerva left go a shy giggle.

* * *

.  
Back to the Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom, this time, Severus stood behind Minerva and opened the door of the closet with a move of his wand. When the boggart came out in the form of Melvin Fymber, Minerva let go a muffled scream, but before her wand slipped between her fingers, Severus grabbed her arm from behind and kept it firm and pointing at the monster.  
"There's no reason to be afraid," he whispered on her ear, "he's only a man... think of a spell and attack."  
"I can't..." Minerva muttered, her legs trembling.  
"Of course you can, you are Minerva McGonagall, you are a powerful witch," Severus kept encouraging her, " you're the most powerful witch ever and you have no fear." His hand was now on her waist and she could feel his strength.  
Minerva looked at the boggart in the eyes, although she knew it wasn't really Melvin, it was looking at her with the same disdain he did. She couldn't attack him, her mind couldn't even think of the simplest spell, she could only think of him, his eyes, his voice, his touch... many memories passed through her mind and she wanted it to stop.  
"Come on, Minerva," Severus whispered sliding his hand from her elbow to her wrist and moving it like if she was a puppet. He said some word she didn't remember and the boggart was pushed inside the closet again.  
She felt so relieved after it was gone that she dipped herself in Severus embrace and broke down into tears.  
"It's over," he said, "I'm sorry... maybe it is too much..."  
"No," Minerva replied once she was calmed down raising her head to look at the potions master, "I just need time..."  
Before Severus could say anything the classroom door was opened.  
"Oh, pardon me, I didn't mean to intrude," the new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher said with his French accent.  
"It's ok, professor Bellard," Severus said stepping aside from Minerva and walking to the door, "We were already finished, thank you for letting us use your class."  
"Any time," Charles Bellard responded, "You're ok, professor McGonagall?" he wondered noticing the tears on her cheeks.  
"Yes, it's nothing that a good cup of tea can't take away," she answered leaving the room too.

TO BE CONTINUED...


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: A teacher missing during the morning are good news when you're inspired ^.^ I thought about this last night after posting what should have been the last chapter in a couple weeks and wrote it down between classes. I really hope you like it.

**WARNING!: Due to the web rules & guidelines and not to offend anybody's sensibility, I have to WARN you about the opening scene of this chapter. It contains PHYSICAL AND SEXUAL ABUSE, necessary to make the plot more believable but not to follow it, so if you don't like that kind of stuff, you can JUMP IT. **

If you are like me and you do like it then, go ahead. Obviously I am talking about fiction not in real life, of course... because I am a woman and I totally disagree with this behaviour. Saying I agree with what you're about to read would be antagonizing my own believes, and further than that, and before anyone can criticize me for writing those lines, I could leave here a long speech defending women rights but I don't think it's necessary because we are all adults (or, if you are not, mature enough) to understand that this is FICTION and nothing else.

I know most of you might feel my lines above were totally unnecessary but I've been writing fanfics enough time to know that there are some points you have to make clear if you don't want people to misunderstand you.

Enjoy.

** I apologize in advance for the grammar and spelling mistakes you will surely find...

* * *

**Tea leaves - 6**

_She was coming downstairs wearing a tight green dress that finished on her knees and showed a shy neckline and her back._  
_"What are you wearing?" he asked._  
_"It's a muggle's dress I bought in London. I thought it was perfect for today..." Minerva answered with the sweetness of youth, "Don't you like it?"_  
_"You look like a whore. Go change." he replied with a dictatorial tone._  
_"But, Melvin, I don't want to change, I like the dress..." she replied from the middle of the staircase. Her feet were at the level of his eyes. He grabbed one of her ankles and made her fall down. Unable to control the fall, her bones crashed against the steps and she groaned of pain. Before she could incorporate herself, he climbed to her level and made sure she wouldn't move._  
_"I don't like you talking to me like that," he said, and he grasped the fabric of her dress and tore it up leaving her back completely naked._  
_"Melvin, please..." Minerva sobbed, but he ignored her begging and removed the bottom of her underwear, "not here, not like this, Mel, please," she implored trying to escape in vain, but the only response she obtained was his moan of pleasure after forcing his way into her body._  
_"If you dress like a whore, I'll treat you like one," he whispered on her ear, and his constant deep breathe tortured her mind as he increased the rhythm of his movement. The pressure of his body was pushing her chest against the stairs suffocating her lungs... _  
_When he was done, she didn't move. "Go change," he said, "the reservations are for tonight and there'll be no point on celebrating our anniversary tomorrow."_  
.

* * *

.  
Minerva woke up with a revolting feeling in her stomach. The room was dark. She sat up at the edge of her bed and felt around for the alarm clock on her night table. The device shined when she touched it so she could see the time. It was five to seven on the morning, time to get up. She grabbed her wand with the intention of turning the lights on when she felt a presence in the room.  
"Who's there?" she asked, at the same time feeling stupid for thinking an intruder would announce himself. The silence and peace of the room at that time let her hear a deep breathe coming from the door's side and without hesitate a bit she turned the lights on at last only to realize she was alone.  
After that Minerva stepped into her bathroom, knelt in front of the toilet and threw up her last meal. She had woken up with a revolting feeling in her stomach  
.

* * *

.  
"You weren't feeling alright and had a bad dream, that's all..." the potions professor said to his colleague while they were walking together in the first floor corridor.  
"But it felt so real, I swear I could listen to his breathe..." Minerva insisted.  
"Our mind can play games with us sometimes. You said you turned the lights on and nobody was there..." Severus pointed out, "Do you actually think if he had been able to reach you already he would content himself by looking you sleep?" he asked.  
"No, but... I hadn't had a nightmare since you gave me the potion until tonight..."  
"That gives you no point, Minerva, because the sleeping potion does only that, it helps you sleep... it doesn't prevent you from dreams or nightmares..."  
"Doesn't it?" she muttered, "I guess you're right then, it was nothing but an illusion..."  
"Exactly," he said happy that she had accepted his theory right when they reached her classroom, "Now, don't worry about it anymore " He concluded, and he waited for her to go inside before leaving because he didn't want her to notice he had changed his mind about going into the library and was now heading up to the Headmaster's office.  
.

* * *

.  
"He's not in the school, Severus," Dumbledore said.  
"But Sir, Minerva seemed pretty sure of what she had felt..." Severus pointed out.  
"You told her it had all been a dream..."  
"Only to calm her down, we are finally making progress with my idea of using a boggart to fight her fears and if she panics now everything will have been in vain... He causes so much fear in her that she becomes a totally different person..."  
"I understand your worry, Severus, but if an intruder had crossed the protective shield of the school I would have notice." Dumbledore assured, "Haven't you been able to discover anything?"  
"The last time he was seen was two days before the Ministry noticed he had disappeared and it was in London. I'll go to the city this weekend and see if I can find out anything helpful," the young professor explained, "but I think it could be good to have an interview with his closest friends in Azkaban."  
"That's a good idea," Albus said, "I'll send an owl to the Ministry this afternoon and see if that's possible."

TO BE CONTINUED...


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: I had this part almost finished since Tuesday but a new expansion of The Sims came out this week and I dedicated my entire free time to gaming instead of writing... I'm sorry. I hope you like this part. (you'll find a longer A/N about what's coming at the end.)

** I apologize in advance for the grammar and spelling mistakes you will surely find...

* * *

Tea leaves - 7

She moved her queen two squares further from his king but in a straight line with his alfin in a suicidal move. The white marble piece was broken into pieces as Severus said "Check mate". Then he emptied down his throat what was left of the full glass of firewater he had served himself earlier and, before he could notice, she had already set the chess board for a new game.  
"I want revenge," she declared.  
"It's late, Minerva, everybody has already gone to bed and so should we," he replied.  
"Is that how sure you are that I am going to defeat you?" she teased trying to hide the tiredness of her voice.  
"Minerva, you're acting childish," he pointed, standing from the armchair near the fireplace of the teachers lounge and walking towards the large table where he'd left his things.  
"What do you mean by that?" she responded also standing up.  
"You don't want to go to sleep for some matter, and instead of telling me, you have kept me awake with you, playing chess..." he said.  
"Oh, I am so sorry for wasting your time, professor..." she replied exaggerating her tone, "I won't be disturbing you anymore." after that she rushed out of the room closing the door loudly.  
Severus followed her leaving his books on the table. He catched her right at the beginning of the stairs and he stopped her by holding her hand when she rested it on the rail.  
Minerva turned around and glanced their hands on the stone before moving apart and staring at the potions master.  
"It's ok, Severus, I understand you're tired... You've been very gentle trying to help me with this situation but it's time I go back to be on my own." her tone was sharp and she gave her back to Severus to leave, but he climbed the stairs with her.  
"Is this because of the nightmare you had this morning?" he asked ignoring her speech.  
"It wasn't a nightmare!" she yelled, losing her temper and awaking some of the portraits hanging around them, "it felt real..." she added, more calmly but with a broken voice.  
"I know," he said in almost a whisper and he gave her a moment to cry in the intimacy of the empty halls of the sleeping castle.  
"For years," she said drying her tears, "this walls have been my home, I've felt safe in here... but now, I don't know what's happening to me, I feel like if I was going crazy..."  
"You're not," he said gazing at her eyes before stepping ahead, "come on, let's go."  
"Go where?" she questioned following his way.  
"To bed," he responded, and seeing her hesitant look he added: "Minerva, you have to sleep, there's no two ways about it."

* * *

Minerva left the half-empty vial with her sleeping potion in the cabinet after taking her daily three drops, removed the sheets of her bed and laid down, giving one last glance at the door of her bedroom before closing her eyes.  
At the other side of that door there was Severus, sitting on Minerva's desk, reading at the light of two floating candles one of his books, which he had made a house elf bring from the teacher's lounge. From time to time he would raise his eyes and glimpse both doors, the one that took to the Gryffindor common room and the one that took to Minerva's bedroom, to make sure everything was alright.  
At some point, tiredness defeated him and he closed his eyes for a couple of hours or so...

* * *

_"Good morning," she said with a large smile on her face, "I made french toasts and some tea."_  
_"It smells good," he said standing behind her and rounding her waist with his arm, "I knew you would soon learn how to be a good wife."_  
_"I just want to make you happy," Minerva took the last toast from the pan and served it to the nearest plate, "let's eat before they get - uh!" she moaned as his lips kissed her neck softly. His left hand slipped under her nightdress while his right hand kept making her prisoner between him and the kitchen furniture. _  
_"Melvin, c'mon," she said in a playful tone, "you'll be late to work and I'd like to visit dad for lunch."_  
_"What?" he asked stopping their game all of a sudden and turning her around so they could be face to face, "I have to go to work today, you can't go to your father's."_  
_"Why not? I don't want to stay alone for the entire day... we could visit daddy again on the weekend if you want to see him too..." she said thinking he was just teasing her._  
_"You're not going anywhere on your own," he insisted, grabbing her neck like if he wanted to suffocate her, "did you understand?"_  
_"...but..." she tried to reply, but in response to that he grabbed her wrist and put her hand into the still hot pan. She screamed and pushed him away. Malvin tripped himself with one of the kitchen chairs, what increased his rage. _  
_With some difficult to breathe between the pain and her sobs, Minerva had time to put her scalded hand under the water before her husband took out his wand and magically dragged her into the pantry, locking her inside._  
_Ignoring the begs of her wife to let her out, Melvin Fymber ate the breakfast she had lovingly prepared to him and, after finishing, he left to work following his daily routine._

* * *

"Melvin, please, come back! HELP!" awakened and startled by Minerva screaming, Severus jumped from the chair and darted into her bedroom branding his wand against... nothing.  
"Minerva, Minerva..." he turned the lights on and sat at the edge of her bed and repeated her name trying to wake her up from her nightmare.  
When she opened her eyes, her first response was to dip her face in his chest... At first, Severus wasn't sure of how to react to that sudden need of comfort, but then he rounded her with his arms. She felt awkwardly safe in his embrace, safer than she had ever felt anywhere or with anyone...  
"You scared me," he said not letting her go yet, "I heard you scream and I thought he was in here..."  
"He scalded my hand and locked me in the pantry... it was so dark and cold... I was in pain and I asked for help... but nobody came..." she talked nervously.  
"It's alright," he said cupping her face and staring deeply in her shiny green eyes... he had never noticed how nice they were before, "it was only a bad dream..."  
"No, Severus... it wasn't only a dream..." she said showing the palms of her hands to him so he could see the different colour of skin in her left hand. It was paler and it had marks of a healed old burn. Severus held it on his hands and looked up at her.  
"Oh, Minerva... " he muttered, and she only needed to watch his face to read his mind.  
"This is why I don't like people knowing about this... I pity me now..." she said looking for her slippers to get up, "and I feel stupid enough by myself."  
"You're not stupid, Minerva, he was, for treating you like this... and yes, I do feel sorry... but not for you, I feel sorry for not being there to help you then, I am sorry you have to relive those memories and for being unable to find him now and give you the peace you need..."  
It was the first time somebody talked like that to her... it was also the first time she showed any of her scars to anyone and that she recalled outloud one of those memories she so effortlessly tried to forget.  
Minerva put her slippers on and stood up.  
"I'd like to have a shower and you should have some sleep. You can use my bed." she said as she left to the teacher's bathroom in a hurry, not giving Severus the chance to reply.

TO BE CONTINUED...

* * *

A/N P.S.: I know there wasn't too many action in this part, but I think it was a necessary part as for Minerva and Severus awkward new state of their professional relationship... If I am able to do things right, there'll be one more "nice" part and then the "hurt" part of the hurt/comfort category will begin. The truth is this is taking more chapters than I thought... but it's so easy to write about them... they have become a natural couple in my imaginary I think... if MM/SS ever passed through JKR's mind... Well, that's enough divagation... I hope you liked this part.


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: As I promised, the real action is about to begin. This chapter is not a master piece, I know it... but it's long (I think it might be one of the longest pieces I've wrote for FF), so very interesting things happen in it. I hope you like it.

** I apologize in advance for the grammar and spelling mistakes you will surely find...

* * *

Tea leaves - 8

.

Although Minerva's offer to stay in her bedroom was tempting, Severus preferred not to make their situation more awkward and left to the dungeons with the intention of having a few hours of sleep. When he arrived to his chambers he noticed an envelope on his desk. It had Dumbledore's handwriting and, since it wasn't there the last time he'd been in his rooms, he had to have sent it after dinner time the night before.

He opened it and read the Headmaster's note:

_Severus, _

_I've just received the reply from Bagnold. He has allowed you to have an interview with Mr. Fymber's only companion in Azkaban. He expects you tomorrow at 3pm in the Auror's Department._

_A.D._

* * *

Minerva didn't found it weird when she didn't see Severus in the Great Hall for breakfast because she knew that because of her he had had no sleep that night. Later, like every Saturday morning, Minerva went to Hogsmeade with Poppy and Rolanda to accompany the children to their weekly excursion downtown and, after having lunch with her friends, she came back to the castle with Filius, who liked to come back sooner to enjoy the peace of the empty school.

After saying goodbye to her colleague, Minerva headed to the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom, where she had been meeting Severus every afternoon for the past weeks, and right when she turned the last corner she almost crashed with professor Bellard, the new DADA teacher.

"I'm sorry, professor McGonagall, I seem to be losing my sight day after day," he apologized with his particular french accent, putting his glasses back to place and bending down to pick up the papers that had felt to the ground.

"It's alright, nobody was harmed," she offered a smile to the man and helped him, "working on the weekend?"

"There's always something to do..." he said.

"I was heading to your classroom to meet professor Snape," she said, "did you saw him?"

"No, but, once again, I could have had him in front of my eyes and not been able to see him," he joked making Minerva let go a shy laugh.

"I guess he's about to come," she said, "see you at dinner time, professor."

"Yes, of course." Mr. Bellard said while leaving down the hall as Minerva continued his way to the DADA classroom.

* * *

Meanwhile, Severus had arrived at the Aurors Department of the Ministry of Magic. It was empty, since it was Saturday, and he guessed Bagnold just wanted to keep everything unofficial.

"Nice to meet you, professor Snape," the man said.

"Nice to meet you, Minister." he politely responded.

"I don't like dementors, so I asked them to stay upstairs until you're finished. There are a couple aurors in the Department if you do need someone with you..." the man explained.

"No, thank you. I can manage myself," Severus looked at the door behind the Minister, "is he in there?"

"Yes. His name's Javier Perez, he's a bank robber. He shared his cell with Fymber until rules changed and all prisoners were placed in individual rooms." he moved not to block the way to the professor, "he's all yours."

Severus went into the room closing the door behind him. Wand in hand, he watched at the big man sitting down with his hands tied up to the arm chair.

"Who are you?" he asked with a marked Spanish accent.

"My name is not your business," Severus said charming a chair in front of the man so they could be face to face.

"Whatever you people want to know this time, you won't get it from me..."

"What can you tell me about Melvin Fymber." Severus asked.

"That he's not my friend," the man teased.

"You'll have to give me some nice information if you want to leave this room alive..."

"Don't make me laugh, you aurors are always threatening but we both know you're not allowed to touch me a bit..." at that moment Severus lost his little patience with the man and grabbed his neck pulling him and the chair he was tied up to against the wall.

"I am not an auror," he said. His left sleeve had been removed (not only accidentally) by his movement, showing the Dark Mark on his pale skin to the man, "so don't make me lose my temper."

"Wow, man, is that real?" Mr. Perez asked staring at Severus arm.

"You don't want to check..."

"Alright, alright... I'll tell you everything I know..." the man muttered and Severus let go of him and sat back on the chair he'd charmed, "He was crazy, ok? He ended up in Azkaban for killing his father-in-law and he was proud of it... He said now his wife had finally learnt the lesson of what would happen to her if she betrayed him again..."

"Did he talk to you about her?"

"Oh, man, if he did... He never talked about anything else... Minerva this, Minerva that... you would think he was in love with her but he was obsessed... he talked about the poor woman like if she was a possession of him... Dios, the stories he told about her..."

"What do you mean?" Severus asked.

"He was a savage... I've never known anyone else that hated women that much..."

"Did he ever tell you what he would do after getting out of Azkaban?"

"Go back home with her... I don't know if he thought she would be waiting for him or what, but in his head that woman belongs to him like this wand belongs to you..."

Severus' face changed... Trying not to show it he stood up and walked around the room.

"Do you know where he could be right now?" he asked.

"Wherever she is..." was all the man said and Severus didn't show any surprise to that.

"Thank you for your time," he said before leaving the room.

* * *

Severus was not outside of the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom and Minerva wondered if he would be waiting inside. She opened the door and was surprised that it was all dark. Severus had obviously not arrived yet so she decided to wait him in the classroom. She turned the lights on, closing the door after her and freeze herself when saw she wasn't alone.

"Melvin..." she muttered, trying to reach her wand with trembling hands. The man, standing some steps ahead, said nothing, just approached her slowly. Minerva felt her legs getting weaker, her knees about to break, her breathe abandoning her and her eyes getting wet... He was there and she was alone... Where was Severus?

"Melvin, don't hurt me..." she begged as cold tears slide down her cheeks, "I... I..." it was then when she glanced at the opened wardrobe, the one where the boggart was supposed to be enclosed, and she realized that wasn't the real Melvin, it was the boggart.

Somehow she regained strength on her legs, her hand stopped trembling and she could reach her wand in the right pocket of her dress. She branded it against the thing in front of her and yelled "Incendio!".

For a moment the boggart became a ball of flames but then it came back to that human form with Melvin Fymber's face.

"Confringo!" Minerva shouted with energy, and watched how that body explode into pieces, only to see it appear again in front of her eyes...

"Go away! Why aren't you disappearing?" she was falling into desperation, "Leave me alone!", throwing spell after spell to the thing only to make it appear again after her...

"Aveda Kadevra!" she finally said and Melvin disappeared after a dark shadow in the air.

Her wand slipped from her fingers and felt on the stone floor.

"Are you alright?" a voice asked from behind and she turned around. Severus was standing at the door, which was opened now, staring at her with concern.

"I killed the boggart," she said.

"I saw," he responded, "are you alright?" he insisted.

"You weren't here..." she talked with rage on her voice as she made her wand fly back up to her hand.

"I was in London, I sent you an owl..." Severus answered walking towards her.

"You mean this wasn't your idea..."

"No, of course not... I just came back. I was going to my chambers when I heard you screaming so I came in... but you managed well on your own..." he said proudly.

"I thought it was really him until I realized the boggart had escaped the wardrobe... I charmed him but it wouldn't go away..." she explained with a broken voice.

"It didn't leave because you kept seeing it in your mind..." Severus tried to give her an explanation, "you kept feeding it with your fear," but she didn't seem to care about the reasons why the boggart kept reappearing.

"I killed him..." she said again.

"You didn't kill Melvin, Minerva, you killed a boggart... it's alright..." he held her hand, "come on, all you need is a good cup of tea."

* * *

They went to Severus chambers. It was the first time Minerva was there and she found it cozier than she had imagined. He had a small fireplace with an arm chair near it, at the other side of the room there was a very tidy desk and two tall bookshelves against the wall. The only light of the room came from the fire and the candles floating around.

"Have a sit," Severus offered her the armchair as he took the chair from behind the desk closer to the fire. With a move of his wand he made appear a tray with two cups, a hot teapot and sugar. The tray floated between them as he served the cups and stayed there as they sipped their tea.

"Are you feeling better?" he asked and Minerva just nodded her head, "this was the first time you casted an unforgettable charm, wasn't it?"

"I don't even know how those words came to my lips," she said, "I only wanted to make it disappear but after casting the spell I realized what I had just done..." her hand trembled for a moment and Severus took the cup from her hands leaving it on the tray, next to his.

"You were trying to protect yourself... you did well..." he said holding her hand between his.

"But what if it had been a real person..." she wondered letting go of him, "I don't like what I did..." she said, "I don't like how I felt..."

"How did you feel?"

"Relieved... for an instant I thought it was really him who I'd made disappeared... then I felt sad for the boggart and finally I felt guilty... I took another life away..."

"I'm sorry I wasn't here..." he apologized, knowing there were no words to repair the damaged done… He had been in her situation before and knew that guilt wasn't something easy to let go.

"What were you doing in London?" she asked.

"I..." he hesitated.

"You're not telling me because you can't or because you don't want to...?" there was a long silence after that, "Severus, I understand you're trying to protect me, but I can handle anything you have to tell me... I prefer to know the worst rather than be kept in the ignorance."

"I was trying to find the whereabouts of Melvin," he said, and Minerva stood up giving him her back, placing a hand on the fireplace, feeling the heat coming from the fire on her legs. She breathed hard.

"Did you learn anything useful?" she asked.

"Not really, but this man I talked to is convinced that if he hasn't found you yet, he'll do it soon..."

"Is there anything else you've discovered that you've been keeping from me?" she asked, still giving him her back.

"Only that he was in London before he went missing and that all this time he's been in Azkaban, he's been thinking on getting you back..." he stood up behind her and placed his hands on her waist.

"I'm trying," she sobbed, "I am really trying to hold myself together but… I don't want to be that girl anymore…" he couldn't see it, but he knew she was crying, "I don't want to become his slave again…"

"That's not going to happen," he turned her round like if she was a doll and their looks met in the air. The tears falling down her cheeks were reflecting the fire making her face shine. Severus dried them and brushed her cheek with the back of his hand… "the girl who stood his abuses and was too afraid and confused to fight is something of the past... You're a grown woman now, Minerva, you're strong, powerful, brave..." there was a moment of silence while they were trapped in each other's eyes, "Minerva, you don't belong to him anymore…" he used the hand on her waist to gently pull her closer, "you're a free woman who could have any men to her feet," her breathe was tickling his chin and she could smell the white tea smell coming from his mouth. They both knew what was going to happen and they both wanted it to happen, but Minerva raised her hands and, gently grabbing his chest, pulled him apart.

"I'm sorry," he apologized thinking he had offended her.

"It's alright," she said walking to the door, "but… I can't…"

"Why?" he asked confused.

"It's not you, really… it's only that… I can't," after that, she left.

.

TO BE CONTINUED...


	9. Chapter 9

A/N: Hello everybody ^.^ You can't imagine how happy I am everytime I receive a comment for this fic... I'm so glad you are enjoying it so much :-)  
It's 22pm right now, I hope I'll be able to finish this chapter before bedtime because I've had it in my mind for weeks and I really want to know your thoughts about it.  
Special thanks to Crazy Female LEPrecon to make me realize I wrote "sit" instead of  
"seat"... I think I've done this mistake thousands of times so, really, thank you. (Although this time I didn't feel as much stupid as I did when someone told me in another fic that I was writing "bed shits", instead of "sheets" U.U').  
Well, enough rambling... enjoy the chapter!

** I apologize in advance for the grammar and spelling mistakes you will surely find...

* * *

.  
Tea leaves - 9

Back in her bedroom, Minerva took her nightdress from her wardrobe and left it on the chair as she took off her clothes. The tartan robes felt to her feet, revealing her naked body to the large mirror hanging on the wall.  
She didn't need to walk closer to her twin image to notice the lines that had been drawn around her eyes during the years... She stepped back and scanned her body with a mixture of nostalgia and sadness. Her breasts felt slightly on her belly, which definitely hadn't the same waist she had when she was twenty; her legs, despite being as long as they had always been, had gained weight on her tights and her ankles seemed deformed... she wasn't young anymore.  
But it wasn't aging what Minerva regretted as she looked at her reflexion, she didn't mind the wrinkles, not having her breasts firm anymore or having lost her nice waist... What Minerva was regretting for the first time in her life was never giving herself a second chance.  
After Melvin was sent to Azkaban it took Minerva some time to find her right place and to know what she wanted to do with her life now that she had the reins of it. She'd worked hard to be the best in transfiguration and build her new life around her career, especially after taking the teaching job at Hogwarts.  
It wasn't like she had build a shield against men willingly, but over the years she did realize that unconsciously she had tried to keep certain distance from them... as soon as she ever noticed some interest towards her coming from any wizard, she would keep formalities between them or directly cut any contact. She was afraid to get weak, hurt... to fell in the trap again.  
How Severus had been able to trespass that invisible shield was a mystery to her... During the two years they'd been working together nothing special had happened... Severus also seemed to keep a distance from the other sex human beings; well, he kept his distance from any living being. But when that third year together began and specially after hearing Sybill reading her tea leaves, he'd shown a special interest towards her... he had cared for her... Nobody had ever cared for her before.  
Minerva stared at herself in the mirror and regained confidence in herself. She grabbed her nightdress and covered herself on her way out of her chambers.

* * *

Severus was about to go into bed when he heard a knock on his door. He glanced the clock on the wall and guessed that, for the time, it could only be the Headmaster with some last-minute demands. For his delight, it was Minerva standing at the other side.  
She was only wearing her long tartan nightdress and she was staring at him with a confidence he'd never seen in her eyes before. He didn't wonder what took her back because there could only be two reasons, and since she didn't seem hurt or afraid, it had to be the good one.  
A shy smile draw on his face as he closed the door after she stepped into the room. They never lost eye contact and their breathings slow downed like if the time was stopping around them.  
Severus held her hand and pulled her closer, she put her other hand on his shoulder and the beatings of their hearts met chest to chest.  
They said no word, as if any sound apart from the tic-tac of the clock would make explode that bubble they were in. They just approached their lips slowly, as if they were afraid of burning themselves, and as soon as their mouths met, passion heated their bodies leaving fear and shyness aside.

* * *

Minerva opened her eyes slowly and before she could get used to the light of the room, she noticed a shadow in front of her. Once her eyes had got accustomed, she saw Severus sitting next to the bed, gazing at her.  
"Good morning," he said with a low voice like if he was still trying not to awake her.  
"Morning," she replied and sat up on the bed taking the sheets with her to cover her nude body, "What time is it?"  
"Ten o'clock, you slept for eight hours..." he said.  
"Did I?" she sounded surprised, "It's the first time in weeks I'm able to sleep so much and without having any nightmare..."  
"That's good," he responded.  
"What were you doing sitting there?" she asked after a moment.  
"Admiring you," he had an expression on his face that she had never seen before on him or on any other man... it was a mixture of amusement, admiration and happiness. She had the same expression, only that she couldn't see it.  
"Don't be silly," she said playfully kicking his knee.  
"I'm not," he sat on the bed, being face to face with her, "You're beautiful and tonight was..." he tried to look for the right word to describe it, unable to find it, he just said, "I'm happy that you came back..." and he brushed her hair, which he could see naturally falling down her shoulders for the first time.  
Minerva smiled and closed her eyes while feeling the heat of his touch.  
"There's something I should tell you," she said, trying to sound serious but unable to erase that smile from her lips.  
"What is it?" he asked.  
"Severus, you are... Melvin..." she mumbled and she took a deep breathe, "you're the first man I am since..." her cheeks blushed and Severus smiled. He cupped her face and stole a kiss from her lips.  
"Is that the reason you left at first?" he questioned and she nodded, "What made you change your mind?"  
"After Melvin I somehow protected myself from all men but you..."  
"Why do you thing that is?" he wondered.  
"You make me feel safe, I feel you understand me and I can be myself, my real self, around you..." she said.  
"I feel different when I am with you as well, "he confessed, "I like the person I become when I am with you..."  
They stayed a long while staring at each other in a silence that Minerva broke.  
"Oh Merlin," she said.  
"What is it?" he asked.  
"I came down wearing only my nightdress," she exclaimed.  
"I know, it's hanging behind the door..."  
"I'm not worried about coming out of the sheets, I'm worried about how I'm going to leave the room... I can't go to the Great Hall for lunch like this."  
"Oh," he said, and a mischievous smile suddenly draw on his face.  
"What?"  
"Well, it's Sunday... most of the teachers are out, nobody will notice you're not there..."  
"Are you saying I have to starve in here until everybody has gone to bed?"  
"No... I'm saying I'm going to take some lunch for the both of us and that you'll be my prisoner until the halls are empty..." he said standing up and bending down to kiss her one more time.

* * *

On Monday morning, one hour before breakfast time, Minerva was trying to get free from Severus lips.  
"I must go,"she insisted.  
"I'm just thinking that if I can distract you a few more minutes my students will began to wake up and you'll have to stay in my chambers for one more day..." he said.  
"As tempting as it sounds, I have to go..." she talked in her teacher tone this time, "I have four classes this morning, I haven't had a shower in two days and if you don't let me go right now I'll begin to think you're really keeping me prisoner..." she teased.  
"Alright, I'll let you free but only if you promise to come back tonight..." he said, grabbing her waist to steal one more kiss from her sweet lips.  
"I promise," she said giggling and finally leaving.

* * *

Severus didn't saw Minerva at breakfast time and guessed she was taking a long bath to relax after their exciting weekend, but when in the middle of the morning he heard some third-year students saying she hadn't attended their class he got worried and went to her chambers to check if she was alright.  
What was his surprise when after opening the door he found an empty room. Nothing was left apart from the furniture and some books. All her things, all her clothes and personal stuff...  
"She's gone..." a voice behind him said and he turned around to find the Headmaster himself.  
"What do you mean?" he asked.  
"Here," Dumbledore said handing him a letter on Minerva's handwriting.  
Dear Albus,  
I took the decision to leave the school some days ago and tonight events have pushed me to do it this way. I'm sorry I didn't tell you before but I didn't want you or anyone trying to convince me to stay. This situation has overwhelmed me and I don't feel ready to teach right now. I need some time on my own, to calm down and to think. Severus will be able to explain you better.  
I'll keep on touch,  
Minerva.

"This has no sense!" Severus exclaimed, "Why would she leave?"  
"I hope you could explain me..." Dumbledore said, "Which "tonight events" is she referring to, Severus?"

TO BE CONTINUED...

* * *

A/N: Oh my god! It's 12.19am, that means it took me a couple hours to write these... I hope you liked this part ;-)


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: I hope that people stopped commenting because they have no time to write and not because they don't like the story anymore... I'd really appreciate it if you could tell me your opinion when it's bad as well because it would help me improve my stories or change anything you don't like when it's possible.**  
**Anyway, to Crazy Female LEPrecon and the rest of people who read the previous chapter, thank you and I really hope this part surprises you.**

**** I apologize in advance for the grammar and spelling mistakes you will surely find...**

* * *

Tea leaves - 10

"You slept with her?!" Albus Dumbledore rarely showed his temper, so whenever he raised his voice a little bit to anyone it meant he was really disappointed.  
This time, he was talking to Severus, who had just told him he had spent the previous night with his deputy. The potions master wouldn't usually talk about his private life, but Minerva had decided to leave the school without saying a word to anyone, only leaving a note, and it seemed the reason of that strange decision of her had been their encounter.  
"How could you take advantage of her actual vulnerability? I trusted on you, Severus... you said you would make sure she didn't got hurt..."  
"I did... You make it sound like if I'd done something wrong but, Sir. I promise it was anything but that... She was happy this morning..." Severus replied, still holding the piece of paper with Minerva's handwriting on his hands.  
"A happy person doesn't disappear this way, Severus..." the Headmaster regained his usual solemn tone before leaving.

During the next days, Severus reread that note one time after another, scanned Minerva's office and bedroom looking for any clue that would tell him something he didn't know yet. He didn't care if she had left the school willingly, he would find her and bring her back because she was in danger and he wouldn't let anyone harm her. He talked to her friends in and outside of Hogwarts with the hope that any of them knew where she could had gone and questioned the students of Gryffindor in case they'd seen or heard her before she left. But not even the pictures hanging in the walls remembered seeing Minerva after she'd entered her bedroom that morning.  
Severus was desperate, he was having no luck with his research and he knew that her husband was fetching her with who knows what macabre intentions... the only thing left of Minerva in the entire school seemed to be those words in the paper he carried with him all the time.

* * *

_Luckily for us, the only thing we need to do to learn what Severus seemed unable to find out (whatever happened after Minerva closed the door of her bedroom that Monday morning) is to go back in time, just a few hours before Dumbledore handed the letter to Severus..._

* * *

Minerva felt like she was in a dream, a good one, and couldn't stop smiling. After so many weeks reliving the worst years of her life, feeling the fear again, unable to sleep because of the nightmares... after so many years feeling secretly lonely, she had found Severus.  
She opened the door of her private chambers and turn on the lights. She didn't even need to make more than one step in to notice there was something wrong... Her bookshelves were empty, her desk was clean... all her things were gone and she could only think on one man who would do it...  
It only took a glance to make her happiness disappear... standing at the door that took to her bedroom there was a tall blonde man staring at her.  
For a while she freezed, but then she remembered the boggart, and how she'd killed it... She wasn't afraid of boggarts, not anymore... In a quick move she turned around and fetched the door to leave, but it was locked.  
"Where are your manners, Minerva? Running away from your husband is not right..." it was his voice, his sweet, calmed and creepy voice... He definitely wasn't a boggart.  
Minerva turned back slowly and tried to look at him into the eyes, to show him she wasn't afraid. With her right hand she grabbed her wand in her pocket and branded it against Melvin.  
He was changed, you could say he had been handsome once but he'd grown old and lost weight... His nose looked even bigger now and his eyes had lost their shiny blue colour. He looked at Minerva's wand and made a disapproving noise with his teeth.  
"You know you shouldn't be carrying a wand, Minerva, give it to me," he said, like if he was talking to a little girl with a knife on her hands.  
"No," she replied with a low voice, unable to say anything else but a monosilab. She was making a huge effort to keep control of her arms and legs, to appear calm and confident... mentally, she was trying to convince herself that she was in front of the boggart, that he was not real, that she could defeat him...  
"What do you mean, no?!" he raised his voice, taking out his wand and magically pulling her closer.  
Somehow, Minerva found the strength to fight back his spell and the invisible force that was dragging her towards him stopped. Feeling stronger and able of anything, she yelled "Stupefy" and a red light came out from her wand to Melvin's direction. He reacted fast and protected himself with a magic shield making the spell bounce in Minerva's direction, who transformed herself into her animagus form to dodge it.  
"How you dare attacking me like that?!" he yelled with fury in his eyes and pointing Minerva with his wand as he shouted, "Crucio!"  
Still in her cat form, Minerva tried to jump onto the empty bookshelf, but the curse grazed her rear left paw causing her to fell onto the ground back in her human form.  
"Are we done?" Melvin stood in front of her and looked down at his wife.  
"Not yet," she said with a weak voice, feeling a strong pain on her left ankle. She crawled away from him and sat up on the floor with her back against the cold stone wall. He grinned, he was enjoying the moment, but Minerva wasn't going to give up so easily. She grabbed her wand strongly and raised her arm as she began to say: "Avada Ked-AH!" before she finish the curse, Melvin disarmed her with a wordless spell, walked to her, and made her stand up by grabbing her from the neck.  
"What were you trying to do?" he asked as he stepped onto her wand breaking it into pieces, "did you actually think you could kill me?" his face was so close to her that she could actually smell his breath, she was trapped between him and cold stone, wandless and unable to run away. His hand was suffocating her, she wanted to cry but she didn't, because she wasn't that girl anymore, she was strong now and whatever he'd do to her, she could bear it. As his lips approached hers, she gazed the door with the silly hope that Severus would suddenly appear and help her... "I missed you so much..." Melvin whispered to her ear.  
"You only disgust me," she said with the taste of him still in her mouth and receiving a slap for an answer.  
"Don't worry, my dear... soon you'll remember how much you loved me and you'll forget this potions professor that's been trying to separate us..."  
Minerva didn't respond to that but wondered how and much Melvin knew about Severus and her.  
"Come on..." he grasped her arm and made her sit down on her desk, with a move of his wand he made it appear a pot of ink, a quill and a parchment. Minerva was confused but didn't say a word. "Now write, Dear Albus, I took the decision to leave the school..." Melvin stopped talking when he realized Minerva wasn't following his command. "Why aren't you writing?"  
"I'm not going anywhere with you," she defied him, "you can rather kill me or take me by force, but don't expect me to help you clean your steps..." she said understanding that Melvin wanted her to leave a goodbye note to Albus so nobody would look for her.  
"I'm not going to kill you, my dear..." he said very calmly, "It wouldn't satisfy me... I want to give you all the love I haven't been able to demonstrate you while I've been in Azkaban and I won't let the old man or the potions freak disturb us..." he began to increase his voice, "So, I'm going to dictate you a letter and you are going to write it word by word unless you want me to come out from this chambers and fetch one of you dear Gryffindor student girls, understood?"

* * *

Minerva handed Melvin the letter with trembling hands. That was it. It hadn't been her marriage a nightmare of the past; but all those years of freedom, teaching in Hogwarts and meeting Severus a dream that had come to its end. Melvin kept the letter in his pocket and after leaving the room as clean as it was before their short duel, he casted an invisibility spell on them.  
"Make the slightest movement and you'll be free but crying someone else's death..." he threatened as they left the room. It was ten or fifteen minutes before breakfast time so there was very few people in the halls. As she was dragged through the passages, Minerva tried to think on a way to ask for help without endangering anybody and didn't realize that instead of leaving the castle they were climbing up to the seventh floor.  
When they stopped in front of a large tapestry she wondered what they were doing there but before she could ask, a door appeared on the wall all of a sudden.  
She had heard of the room of requirement but she had never seen it before. They went inside and the lights turned on on their own showing a cozy bedroom with a fireplace, a nice four posted bed and some wardrobes and cabinets.  
"You like it?" Melvin asked removing the invisibility spell from them and taking Minerva to the bed.  
"What is this place? What are we doing in here?" she asked sitting down on the soft sheets.  
"I found this room a month ago, it's taken me a few weeks to understand how it exactly works and get it ready for you..." he explained as he took a chain that suddenly appeared on the bed and chained her hands to it.  
"What do you mean? How did you find this place..." she was very confused. Had Melvin been in the school for so long without her knowing? Was he planning on staying in there?  
"My dear Minerva..." he sat down next to her and caressed her bruised cheek talking to her like if she was a kid unable to understand, "I've been in the school since the first day of the year, I've been learning about the place... I know that if we crossed the protection spells right now your dear Dumbledore would notice somebody is leaving without permission and they'd find us immediately... so we'll live at Christmas, when everybody's going back home... he won't be able to notice your magic or mine among so many people... in the meantime, you'll stay here, where nobody can find or hear you because that's what I've requested to this marvellous room."  
"If we can't leave yet, why keeping here, why risking it? Why not waiting to take me with you at Christmas..."  
"Because as long as you are here, you can't fuck any other man but me..." he said and he walked to one of the cabinets and took a vial from it.  
"Please, don't hurt Severus..." she begged.  
"Oh, don't worry... it's not his fault that you're a bitch," he said as he emptied the vial down his throat, "his punishment will be to live knowing he hasn't been able to prevent me of finding you..." his voice seemed to change as he talked, and so did his face... he even became shorter and his hair became darker... "we'll send him a postcard once we're in our new home..." he added talking with a french accent. Minerva looked astonished at the man standing in front of her because it wasn't Melvin, anymore, it was Charles Bellard, the new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher of the school...

TO BE CONTINUED...

* * *

**Before we get into the final A/N, is the end clear enough? Please, ask me anything you need me to explain.**

**A/N: Ok, so... what did you think? I've been looking forwards to get to this point for weeks for many reasons... first, because I think this story is one of my most original ones and because I'm really trying hard to write it better than any other one; secondly, because from this moment on I have no idea of what's going to happen, what means that the next update could take longer, but at the same time, that you can suggest anything you'd like me to consider adding... and thirdly, because I really, really, really want to know what you think about the story now that you know the same I knew since the beginning.**


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: I know this is not much, but I wanted to give you an update since you're all being very patient...**

**** I apologize in advance for the grammar and spelling mistakes you will surely find...**

* * *

Tea leaves - 11

After being left alone, Minerva tried to transform into her animagus form to escape, in vain; then she tried every spell she knew to get rid of those chains but it was useless, not because she didn't have her wand or because the chains were unbreakable but because they were preventing her from using her magic. Tired, with an ankle sore and wondering what would be next now that she was in Malvin's hands, Minerva recalled every encountered she'd had with him since Albus introduced her to professor Bellard.  
Melvin had played his role very good as the new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher... They'd been face to face and she'd never realized that behind that lovely french accent and sweet clumsiness there was her husband... the man she'd fear all those years. She felt stupid for her blindness and revolted by his lack of scruples... he had been spying on her and planing how to get her during all those months and now he was still pretending to be this Charles Bellard, teaching her students and working side to side with the people who she loved.

* * *

_Now that we know what really happen to Minerva that Monday morning we can go forwards, to where we left Severus... desperately looking for her in vain_.

* * *

"I see... I see death, maybe not death... maybe love..." Sybill Trelawney was reading some tea leaves but suddenly the person in front of her pounded the table startling her, what caused the cup between her hands to slide from her fingers and crash on the stone floor becoming little pieces of porcelain.  
"NO! I told you to have a proper prophecy!" the voice of the potions professor resounded in the empty classroom.  
"I don't understand what you mean..." the divination teacher said with trembling voice.  
"Of course you don't... Minerva was right, you wouldn't get the future even with a time-turner..."  
"That's rude..." the woman sobbed.  
"Never mind," Severus took his hand to his head and sighed in despair, "I knew it wouldn't work but I had to try...if you could only have another prophecy to tell me where she is..."  
"Another?"  
"You had one reading Minerva's, remember? The day before the school year began..."  
"Did I?" Trelawney asked confused.  
"You saw there was a man after her, a bad man... I've been trying to protect her all this time but..."  
"Now she's gone..." she said.  
"Yes... but it's been five days now, and not only there's no signal of her anywhere but I'm not willing to believe she left of her own free will... I think this man was here and took her with him..."  
"But Dumbledore told us Minerva had left the school for personal motives..." Trelawney pointed.  
"Well, the Headmaster doesn't agree with me... and he neither want to admit anyone was able to break the school protection shields..." Severus told her, "I don't think it'll be much help but, if you had any dream or premonition, would you tell me, please?"  
"Of course," she said, reading honesty and concern on his eyes, "you should talk to Rolanda, they are very good friends, they are always talking about quidditch stuff... Maybe she knows where Minerva would go if she's trying to hide..."

* * *

Severus waited until Madame Hooch had finished her class to talk to her. She noticed him while she picked up the students brooms and she tried to ignore his presence.  
"Can I help you?" she asked rudely.  
"Would you have a minute?" Severus tried to be polite.  
"What for?" she made her way to the shed to leave the brooms and Severus had to follow her.  
"I'd like to talk... about Minerva... Sybil said you're good friends, that you may know where she can be..."  
"Why would I tell you? What do you have to do with Minerva?" the witch wondered while magically placing the brooms in their place.  
"I need to find her..." he said.  
"Why?" she was certainly the most annoying witch in the world, but he wouldn't lose his patience...  
"Because I need to see her..."  
"What for?"  
"Do you know or not where Minerva can have gone?" he asked finally losing his patience.  
"Maybe... she spends the holidays in a little cottage in Scotland..."  
"Could you take me there?" he asked, hope sparkling on his eyes.  
"I guess..."  
"Great, let's go!" he exclaimed.  
"You mean now?" she opened her eyes wildly.  
"Do you have more classes for the day?" he asked.  
"No, but..."  
"Then, let's go..." he said and he grabbed a couple brooms.  
They flied to the gates of the school and once they'd crossed the guarding spells they disapparated together.

* * *

.  
Minerva opened her eyes when she heard the door opening. Melvin came in still looking like professor Bellard.  
"You missed me, my dear..." he sat down at the edge of the bed next to her and Minerva sat up on the sheets the further the chains let her be.  
"Not really," she teased and he breathed hard trying to control himself, since it wasn't an argument the reason of his visit that time. He grinned at her and took his hand to her cheek carefully, she tried to move apart but he grabbed her pressing his fingers harder on the large bruise that marked her face from the corner of her left eye to under her thin chin.  
"Kiss me," he said. Minerva stared at him trying to hide her fear and pain... hesitatingly, she approached her lips to his and she kissed her as his fingers slide down her skin, tickling her neck and going further down feeling the soft fabric of her nightdress, which was tore up, showing other wounds and bruises on her body. He broke apart their kiss as his hands continued their way down to her naked feet, they were cold and when in contact with his hot hands, Minerva shivered.

* * *

.  
Severus and Rolanda apparated in a green field at the top of a cliff, a few feets ahead there was a small cottage that seemed about to fall on the sea.  
"This is it," Hooch said inviting Severus to go first. They hadn't reached the door yet when they noticed it was opened. Severus rushed inside branding his wand followed by the flying teacher. The house was a mess, all the furnitures had been destroyed, the books covered the floor and there were broken crystals everywhere... but nobody seemed to be there.  
"What happened here?" wondered Rolanda while picking up from the ground a picture of Minerva and her father.  
"He's been here..." Severus said scanning the room with his eyes looking for any clue that Minerva had been there as well.  
"Who?"  
"Minerva's husband..."  
"Minerva is married?!" Hooch yelled with her eyes opened like plates.  
"You didn't know it?" Severus stopped his search to look at the professor confused... "I thought you were friends..."  
"I met Minerva when I began to work at Hogwarts but she rarely talks about her personal life..." Rolanda explained, "What's the matter with this husband of hers?"  
"It's a long story..." he let his body fall down on the tore up pillows of the couch, "the thing is he wants to hurt her and I... I just don't know where else to look..."  
"Pomona," Hooch said, "she's Minerva's age, they've known each other since always... maybe she knew about her husband and can tell you something else..."

.  
TO BE CONTINUED...


	12. Chapter 12

**** I apologize in advance for the grammar and spelling mistakes you will surely find...**

******A/N: I am in the middle of my end-of-term exams and I wanted not to write anything until I'd finished them, but I really needed to disconnect and people's been asking me for updates... This will be short, fast and not checked but... it'll be best than nothing.**

* * *

Tea leaves - 12

.  
"Yes, of course I met Melvin Fymber," professor Sprout answer to Severus while she watered her plants.  
"Really?" the potions master couldn't hide his surprise because he thought that had been like a secret marriage.  
"Minerva and I met the first year of school and became good friends since the very beginning. She would help me with spells and transfigurations and I would help her with herbology and care of magical creatures. When we finished our NEWTs she told me she was engaged with this friend of her father and I attended the wedding at the end of summer..." she explained.  
"Did you saw her again?" Severus asked.  
"After the wedding I maybe received a couple owls from her... At first I didn't gave it much care, you know, she was just married, I guessed she had a lot of things to occupy her time with better than spending time with an old friend, but as weeks passed I found it weird..." she looked at Severus for a moment and then went back to her plants, "I thought maybe she was upset with me, that maybe I'd say something or done something... so after Christmas I decided to pay her a visit and check if everything was fine between us..."  
"Could you talk to her?"  
"Yes, after trying a couple times because the first time her husband opened the door and told me Minerva wasn't home. When I could finally find Minerva on her own I met a scared young woman trying to hide a bruise at one side of her chest that the neckline of her dress let me see."  
"He'd beaten her..."  
"She never admitted it, she said she'd fallen down while cleaning up the house... but yeah, that's what I though."  
"Why would she lie to you? You were her friend..." Severus thought aloud.  
"That's Minerva... she's too proud to admit failure, to ask for help, to let others feel pity of her... I tried to talk to her but she asked me to leave, and after insisting I did so. I left her in that house knowing that there was something really wrong..."  
"When we met again teaching at Hogwarts Minerva acted like if nothing had happened, like before the wedding so I assumed she didn't want to talk about him. She's never told me how she managed to get free, I just assumed she'd ran away after her father passed away, that she'd decided to change her life..." Pomona said, "but he's back, isn't him? That's why she's been acting so weird this term, that's why she's gone..."  
"She did ran away, but Melvin found her and got into a fight with her father... He killed him and was sent to Azkaban. He had been there until he escaped in Augost."  
"Oh my goodness," Sprout opened her mouth widely and stared at Severus, "tell me you know Minerva is fine."  
"I don't know where she is..." Snape confessed and took out Minerva's note from his pocket, "she left this in her bedroom when she disappeared," he gave Pomona a moment to scan Minerva's words and then continued, "I don't think she left willingly."  
"He's found her, he made her write this, I'm sure of it... Minerva would never abandon Hogwarts, specially while being in danger..."

* * *

"Just because Pomona thinks..."  
"It's not only her, sir," Severus replied to the Headmaster in his office, "I also think Minerva's husband was here... She herself felt his presence..." he insisted, "I don't know how he made it to come in, and neither how he managed to escape with her but I'll find them... I'll bring her back, safe."  
"Severus, even if you're right... you don't know..."  
"She'll be alright," he interrupted, "she will."  
"Okey," the headmaster said after a moment of silence, "let's say you're right, it doesn't change the fact that we don't know where Minerva is..."  
"Right... but it means I've been doing things wrong. Ever since that note I've been looking for Minerva when what I should be doing is looking for him. The last thing I know is he was in London the week before the year began... so I'll go back to my search again."

* * *

Meanwhile, in the room of requirement...

* * *

"Your lover is looking for you everywhere..." professor Bellard said without his accent as his nose grew bigger, "if he only knew he's been wall to wall with you this morning when he walked to Albus office..." and then he left go a laugh, as Fymber.  
"You should wish he never finds you, Melvin, because if he does..." Minerva threatened from the bed, where she was still tied up.  
"What?" he raised his voice, "I am not that boggart he made you play with, my dear..." he walked towards her and sat on the edge of the bed, "I am your husband," he said grabbing her chin with his fingers, "you belong to me..." he released her face and with a fast move he slapped her left cheek, "you are mine, Minerva."  
"I'm not," Minerva yelled feeling her skin burning, "I'm free!"

* * *

A couple days later, in London, Severus is beginning to lose hope.

* * *

"Are you sure you haven't seen this man around?" he insisted while showing Melvin's picture in the Daily Prophet to the owner of the Leaky Cauldron.  
"I don't recall him..." the man said, "but again, a lot of people pass by..."  
"I do remember him," a woman said next to Severus at the bar.  
"Really?" the professor exclaimed.  
"Now, Doris, don't invent things..." the owner muttered.  
"No, no, I'm pretty sure..." she insisted, "You gave him the room next to mine, remember? The one who disappeared..."  
"Oh, yeah..." he replied, "Are you sure it's the same guy?"  
"Yeah, of course... I have good memory with faces"  
"So he was here?" Severus asked.  
"If that was him, yeah... he stayed for a couple nights and then left without being seen."  
"He disappeared? Did he leave anything in the room?"  
"He left nothing, and... oh! Now I remember... the french guy payed for his room."  
"French guy?" Severus was now confused.  
"The professor, wasn't him?" the woman pointed.  
"What professor?" Severus asked.  
"A french rich guy that came at the end of August saying he was going to work with Dumbledore... He seemed excited about the job because he never stopped talking about it..."  
"Bellard!" Severus exclaimed.  
"Yeah, I think that was the name he wrote in the register... He payed for both their rooms when he left for Hogwarts, he said they'd become good friends..."  
"Can I see the register?" Severus asked.  
"Sure..." the man looked for some big book under the counter and handed it to Severus. He pointed him the professor's name on August 26, the day he came in, and September 1, the day he left.  
"These are different handwritings..." he muttered handing the book back to his owner and suddenly putting two and two together.

TO BE CONTINUED...


	13. Chapter 13 - The END

**Tea leaves - 13 - The very last part.**

* * *

Melvin Fymber thought that he would find his wife home after being paroled from Azkaban two month, one week and five days ago. You may not understand why, you may think he was crazy and, indeed, he was. Fymber was a possessive man, who thought he owned Minerva McGonagall, who thought she belonged to him and that she'd learnt her lesson and wouldn't try to escape from him again. In his perturbed mind Melvin imagined Minerva getting the house ready for his arrival the days before his release. Obviously, that never happened and, obviously, he became madly furious after finding himself in an empty abandoned house.

Being aware that not showing in the Ministry when he was supposed to would make every auror in the country look for him, Melvin went to the only place he knew Minerva could hide: her grandmother's old cottage in the Scotland north coast. It was guarded by spells he easily broke, and the door was magically locked as well. Nobody seemed to be in the house but, it was not abandoned, what meant that Minerva was actually leaving there. He emptied every drawer, every closet and wardrobe in the house looking for some clue that could tell him the whereabouts of his missing wife and when he thought he would have to look in every corner of the Kingdom to find her, he came across with a handwritten letter addressed to _Professor McGonagall_. He opened the envelope and read the paper, it was sent only a couple weeks ago and it was from the Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts, asking Minerva to come earlier to the school to help him organize the year plan.

Melvin went back to London and never stayed more than one night in a place in order not to attract the people attention. Now that he knew where he could find Minerva, he only needed time to figure out a way to break into the school.

One rainy night he ended up at the Leaky Cauldron, where he'd tried not to go because many aurors stayed there some times, but that was actually his lucky night. He met a French professor who was going to work at Hogwarts. It was perfect. It took him a couple days to get all the ingredients and make the polyjuice potion, and on the meantime he tried to learn as much as possible about the man. His name was Charles Bellard, he had been teaching in Beauxbatons but they'd hired a new professor and now he was proud of going to work with the greatest wizard of all times. He was wealthy, he explained Melvin that he came from a rich muggle family and that his grandfather had married an English witch and that was why he spoke the language so well.

When the polyjuice potion was done, Fymber got Bellard drunk, took him into his room, and when he fell unconscious, Melvin grabbed a full hand of hair from his head and before he came back to himself, he killed the french professor leaving nothing but air where his body was lying.

The rest was easy, he used Bellard train ticket to take the Hogwarts Express, and practiced his french accent during the journey to the castle. The hardest part of his plan was keeping his temper while being around Minerva.

She hadn't changed a bit since the last time he'd seen her standing in front of him, she looked as beautiful and breakable as the first day, he could see it behind that strict-professor act of her. But then that potions nerdy became her shadow, flirting with her and making her believe that she could defeat her husband whenever he decided to come back and that... that wasn't a good thing.

That is why he had to rush things, he couldn't wait until the Christmas train to take her with him anymore, he had to separate Minerva from Severus the sooner the best.

When he discovered the room of requirements his worries finished, it would be easy to hide Minerva in a place that only him could find. That's how he ended going up to the seventh floor every day when his classes were over and going back to his bedroom late at night, when nobody could see him.

His plan was actually going so well that while he walked back to his room that night of the end of October he felt there was nothing to worry about anymore. Severus would never find Minerva, the aurors department would never find him, and in a few more weeks Christmas would come and they'd leave the school with all the students who were going home, after that, they'd be free and back to normal.

Obviously, Melvin didn't know where Severus had been that day, and even less, that he was waiting for him in his bedroom.

* * *

As soon as he came back from London, Severus went into Bellard's office expecting to find him in there, but it was empty. That had actually been a good thing, because if he had been able to put his hands on him the same moment he entered that room, he'd killed him. During the eternal couple hours he'd been patiently waiting, Severus had decided that death wasn't enough punishment for a man like Melvin, and he'd thought of about a dozen spells that wouldn't kill him, but would make him wish to be dead.

When it was almost midnight, he heard noise outside. He hided behind the door and prepared his wand. The door opened slowly, but he moved fast, in a blinked of the eyes, Snape's arm was around professor Bellard's neck.

"Professor Snape," Charles Bellard said with a suffocated voice and reaching for his wand into his left pocket, "have you become crazy?"

"Stop the act Fymber..." Severus said, and released the man, who walked a few steps forwards and aimed his wand at Severus. "Where is Minerva?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," he answered, without his fake french accent.

"There's a time to lie, and a time to admit failure, Mr. Fymber," both men were standing in front of the other, aiming their opponent with their wands and not losing eye contact.

"I will never tell you where she is," Melvin said, "so you can rather give your life for her, or kill me now and make Minerva starve to death in her prison," he smiled and Severus put his wand down, "I promise I will tell her about your nice gesture, professor." he said before moving his wand and whisper some word that made Severus' body fall down on his knees, and finally lay on the cold stone.

* * *

During the two hours that Severus had been patiently waiting for Melvin to come to his private room, he hadn't only though of the best way to hurt him. After all he'd learnt about Minerva's husband, he'd imagined that he wouldn't just tell him where she was and go. No, Fymber didn't look like the kind of guy who is afraid of dying, on the contrary, Severus was sure that he'd prefer to see Minerva dead before letting her go.

Severus came out with a plan. A risky plan, yes... but one that could work. He went down to the dungeons and picked a small vial of Felix Felicis, yes, the luck potion, and came back knowing that his only chance to find Minerva was to get shot and play dead.

So after Fymber went out of the room Severus stood up and ran after him. But that was not all, to be able to follow Melvin down the labyrinthine halls of Hogwarts, Severus had slipped into his cloak pocket a little opened sack full of tea leaves that would draw a path that the potions master only had to follow through the corridors and up to the seventh floor and to a... flat wall?.

Severus grabbed some air while he looked again at the last steps of the tea leaves path on the ground only to see that it definitely finished at a flat stone wall. What did that meant? Where had he gone?

There couldn't only be one explanation... Fymber was rather a ghost or... the room of requirements, of course!

Suddenly Severus felt stupid for not having thought of that room during the last frustrating weeks, and realized that if Minerva had really been in there all that time, he'd been walking a few steps from her everyday while thinking she was far away, when she wasn't.

He touched the cold stone on the wall and though of a way of opening the door. It was the room of requirements, so it should ask to his need, which was seeing Minerva...

* * *

She was finally surrending to her physical need to sleep when the door opening woke her up suddenly and Melvin, looking like professor Bellard, came in. She didn't like the look on him, he looked stressed, furious... He was rather going to rape her or beat her up and she was feeling too tired for that. Her surprise was when he came closer, sat on the bed and did none of those things, instead, he untied her.

"Melvin, what's wrong?" Minerva asked thinking that he'd maybe realized they'd never made it out of the castle and decided to kill her.

"We're leaving," he said grabbing a dress from one of the closets and throwing it to her, "now be a good girl and put this on, quick."

Minerva passed the white sleeveless dress he'd given to her through her head and then pulled it down her body. When it was fixed she realized a window had appeared in one of the walls of the room and Melvin was holding a broom.

"Come on," he said.

"Why are we flying, I thought we'd leave on Christmas," she asked.

"Shut up and come here," he ordered.

"No, I'm not going anywhere with you," Minerva run to the door but it was locked for her.

"Minerva, I mean it, come here or..."

"MELVIN!" a voice suddenly yelled from outside, "MELVIN I KNOW YOU'RE THERE!"

"It's Severus!" Minerva realized, "SEVERUS!"

"Shut up!" Melvin pointed her with his wand.

"This is why you're in such a hurry, he's discovered you..." Minerva began to punch the door, "SEVERUS, I'M HERE, HELP!"

"MINERVA?!"

"I said, come," Melvin insisted, grabbing Minerva by her hair, "now you'll sit down on the broom and you'll behave, alright?"

"No, I won't... let go of me..." and while Minerva fight Melvin back the large wooden door of the room of requirements was opened and Severus came in pointing his wand to Fymber, who used his wife as a shield, since she had managed to disarmed him.

"Let her go," the potions master demanded.

"No, you put your wand down and we leave flying," Melvin said with his arm around Minerva's neck, holding the broom with the other and his wand somewhere on the ground.

"Are you sure of that?" Severus asked suddenly pointing at the broom with his wand and making it break into pieces with a simple move, "because it'll be hard to fly with now broom..."

"You bastard!" and at that moment, at that little instant that Melvin lost his temper, Minerva managed to get free from his arm, and pulled him back, which caused him to fall down the window he himself had required to the room.

Minerva let out a gasp and instinctively tried to reach for his hand, but Severus pulled her away the window and into his embrace.

* * *

_**Epilogue**_

* * *

After everything what had happened, Christmas did come to Hogwarts and the children went back to their homes for the holiday.

"We could go for a walk on the snow," Minerva suggested while lying down on the couch of the teachers lounge with her head on Severus lap.

"It's cold outside," he said making his fingers play with a flock of her hair that was out from her bun, "we could also stay in here, it's so peaceful without the children around..."

"OH MY GOD!" somebody suddenly yelled, and Minerva sat up startled.

"What's the matter, Pomona?" she asked.

"I'm gonna be rich!" she kept yelling, "Sybill saw an acorn on my tea leaves, and she said I'm going to become rich!"

"Tea leaves?"

"Yes, would you like her to read yours as well?" the herbology teacher questioned again.

"What about that walk on the snow?" Severus interrupted standing up and taking Minerva out of the room before anyone dared to say another word.

.

THE END.

* * *

A/N: Before anyone says it, I'll admit it: the ending was poor and the writing was worst than usual, but I've been (and still am) in a very bad mental place and really needed to sit down and write something and I felt very bad for having abandoned all my stories so suddenly... So I'm very sorry, and I hope this doesn't prevent all of you from reading my upcoming things, if I do post anything new.


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